


Three Little Words

by InfectiousKpop



Series: Lyrics [1]
Category: GOT7
Genre: First Meetings, Ice Cream, Inspired by Real Events, M/M, trainees
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-08-30 03:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8516974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfectiousKpop/pseuds/InfectiousKpop
Summary: When Mark came to Korea, he didn't think about the surge of loneliness he'd feel being in a country where he didn't know the language. Sure, there were other people who spoke English, but it just wasn't the same. Something was missing. Then, one day, he finds himself unable to stop thinking about a new trainee. With one friendly smile and an encounter that may be anything but coincidence, his entire world gets turned upside down.





	1. I Want You

There were a lot of things that Mark hadn’t considered when he’d decided to fly to the other side of the world. He hadn’t known a single word of Korean, but the recruiters reassured him that he’d be taught. The only dancing he knew was what he’d picked up from school dances and movies and TV, but they said he’d learn. That was what training was all about, after all. There was no guarantee that he’d even make it out of the training stage, but a part of him knew that he needed to take the opportunity. The regret of not seeing what could have been would be too much.

Now that he’d been in Korea for almost a year, though, other things had started to pop up. While there were other trainees that spoke English, Mark still felt alone a lot of the time. He took Korean lessons every day with a small Thai trainee, but the boy’s English was still limited and, to be perfectly honest, the four-year age difference didn’t help their friendship grow, either. It hadn’t even been a full year and he already missed Los Angeles. He missed his friends. He missed his family. He missed not having to think about whether he’d used the correct word or said something in the right order.

Even dance practice, which he figured would require the least amount of speaking, got too difficult sometimes. The instructor would yell out obscure Korean words that he’d never heard, leaving him to wonder what had been said until someone else inevitably explained the best they could in broken English or the instructor motioned out what he was trying to say charades-style. Either way, the encounters left him feeling mentally drained.

He felt especially tired today, physically exhausted from practicing all day and generally tired from a bad night’s sleep. When the instructor finally gave them a break, he collapsed into the corner of the room, hoping he could get just a few minutes of undisturbed rest.

Less than a minute after he’d shut his eyes, the sound of the other trainees hurriedly shuffling to their feet made him jump. Walking into the room was the head of the recruiting department, followed by a boy that had so much confidence, Mark would’ve easily believed it if they announced that the boy had already debuted.

“Everyone, this is Jackson,” the man said, motioning to the boy who was now standing next to him. “He’s joining us from Hong Kong, so his Korean is limited.” Mark watched the new trainee, curious if he knew any English. Jackson’s eyes scanned over the small group, sticking on Mark for a few extra seconds. Before anyone else could notice, though, he shifted his gaze back to the man next to him, nodding along even though he no doubt didn’t understand a word that was being said.

“He doesn’t start training until tomorrow, but he will be moving into the dorms today. Please treat him well.” The group nodded and bowed politely. The man then turned to Jackson, speaking in rapid Cantonese as he gestured around the room. Listening intently, the boy seemed to get more and more excited the more he heard. He nodded eagerly and smiled like an idiot as he looked around the room again. His jet black hair, which he’d styled into a sort of messy updo style, bounced a little with every nod.

Mark found himself scanning over Jackson, doing his best to figure out as much as he could about the boy. For the most part, he looked like any average teenager, wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt paired with some generic blue Nikes. A few pieces of jewelry glistened under the harsh lights, mostly rings with a couple bracelets and a necklace to match, but none of them seemed extravagant. The only thing that seemed different was how broad and big his chest was. Compared to the usual trainees, who were thin, mainly from exertion and hunger, Jackson looked more built and muscular.

Before Mark could figure out why he was still staring, Jackson and the man started moving back toward the door. As they left, Jackson glanced back one last time, looking straight at Mark and smiling. The older felt his breath catch as he noticed the boy’s light brown eyes staring back at him. Why was he doing that? He couldn’t breath again until the door had closed behind the two, leaving the group of trainees to talk among themselves.

Even after practice, Mark’s mind was still stirring. If he said he hadn’t thought about Jackson for the rest of the day, he’d be lying. Something about the mysterious new trainee had grabbed a hold of his attention and wouldn’t let go. Even when he was back at the dorm, dead ass tired from a packed day, he couldn’t fall asleep.

After what felt like hours of just lying around, he rolled out of bed, throwing on some sweatpants and a tank top before heading for the door. Eating something usually helped him fall asleep when he was having trouble, but there was no food in the dorm. Keeping any in the kitchen was just asking for someone else to eat it instead. Common courtesy wasn’t a privilege when everyone was hungry and no one had much money to spare. Grabbing an umbrella to shield himself from the lazy curtain of rain outside, he made his way toward the front doors. Just as he was about to step out of the building, someone else dashed inside, almost colliding with Mark.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” the boy said. He shook his head a little, making tiny droplets fly in every direction. When he looked up, Mark bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from gasping at the sight of a dripping-wet Jackson. How convenient that the one person who’d been distracting him all day was the person he ran into when he was trying to escape his own head.

“I mean, uhm, mian haeyo,” Jackson muttered, bowing his head politely.

“You speak English, too?” Mark asked. While he’d never admit to it, he got excited when he heard the words slip out of the boy’s mouth. No doubt they’d be seeing a lot of each other and, with neither of them really knowing Korean, communication would’ve been almost impossible otherwise. And Mark definitely felt the urge to talk to him.

Jackson perked up. “Yes! Oh my gosh, this is so lucky. You’re the first trainee I’ve gotten to talk to.” His smile was so infectious, Mark couldn’t help but smile as well. “They told me that there were others that spoke English, but I didn’t think you’d be the first person I’d meet!” He squealed and shook excitedly, which only made Mark burst out laughing. This guy was acting like the biggest five year old the world had ever seen. But, instead of looking ridiculous, the boy just became more endearing.

“I’m Jackson,” he continued once he calmed down, which only took couple seconds, and held out his hand. Mark blinked at it for a minute, brain taking a moment to process exactly what he was asking for before accepting the handshake. “I know,” he said quietly. “I was in the studio. I’m Mark.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jackson replied. “Are you going somewhere? Isn’t it a little late?” He motioned to the partly-unfurled umbrella hanging from the older’s hand. Almost forgetting he even had it, Mark glanced down before nodding. “Just getting some snacks.”

“Oh! Can I come with you? I’ve been feeling a little hungry. They gave me dinner, but it didn’t really fill me up. Please?” Mark just nodded, amazed at how quickly the boy had sunk into such a casual, relaxed tone. “Awesome! Let’s go.” Grabbing the umbrella with one hand and slinging the other over Mark’s shoulders, he steered them out into the rainy alleyway without a second thought.

The rain picked up when they were a few steps away from the convenience store, giving them just enough time to rush into the always-open building before getting completely soaked. They eagerly roamed the aisles, picking out a few of their favorite things without going overboard. Even though he was a new trainee, Jackson had been warned that money got tight quickly. He wasn’t about to spend it all on snacks, no matter how much his stomach tried to convince him otherwise.

Once he grabbed all the chips and candies he’d been craving, he headed back to the row of fridges filled with drinks and ice cream. “Hey Mark,” he called, waving the older boy over. A confused look spread across his face, but he made his way over anyway, dropping a bag of gummy fruit into his basket. “Pick out an ice cream. Whichever one you want,” Jackson said, motioning to the chest filled with sugary frozen snacks.

“Oh, that’s okay. I’ve already got enough,” the older muttered, glancing down at the few items he’d picked out.

“No no no. I’m paying for it. It’s a thank you present.”

Surprise swelled over Mark, glancing back up at his new acquaintance before looking into the freezer. “Okay,” he muttered, taking a step forward. He didn’t exactly know what Jackson had to thank him for, but he wasn’t about to turn up free ice cream, either. Skimming over every option, he picked out a strawberry popsicle and held it out toward the other.

“Interesting choice,” the younger said. He took the treat and dropped it into his basket before turning and picking out a chocolate-covered ice cream bar. “I wouldn’t have guessed you were the popsicle kind of guy. You’re full of surprises.”

The two paid for their item, neither in a rush since the rain was still pouring mercilessly outside, and decided to take a seat at one of the tables near the front windows. Jackson fished out their frozen treats, handing Mark’s over before unwrapping his own. He held it up next to Mark’s head, eyes narrowed as he glanced back and forth. “You officially don’t have chocolate brown hair,” Jackson said, lowering his ice cream.

“It’s black,” Mark replied, his own treat already coloring his tongue a bright red.

“I know that now,” Jackson huffed, taking a big bite out of the edge of his ice cream. “I remember seeing you, by the way,” he said, mouth still a little full. “In the studio, I mean. Honestly, I kinda hoped you were one of the people that spoke English.”

“Why?” The word was out of Mark’s mouth before he could even think, his never-ending curiosity about the boy finally getting to the better of him.

Jackson just shrugged, not seeming the slightest bit phased at being questioned. “I don’t know. You looked friendly, I guess. I can’t really say what it was. Maybe it was just a lucky guess.” He chuckled at his own nonsense, taking a few more bites of ice cream to settle them into a slightly-comfortable silence.

They stayed there, eating and awkwardly looking anywhere except at each other, until Jackson finished his ice cream. He even licked the stick clean, determined to get every last bit of sugary goodness that he could.

“This might sound a little weird,” he said, tossing the clean stick into his bag of snacks, “but I think something brought us together today. Like, it wasn’t just coincidence or anything. Must be fate.”

Mark’s eyes shot open as he looked at Jackson, shocked. It wasn’t even what he said that surprised him the most, though. It was how his breath caught just a little hearing it. How his stomach flipped at something that was spoken so casually. How three words managed to make him question everything.

_ Must be fate. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello everyone. I feel like it's been a while since I've published ANYTHING on here. Probably cause it has been. I'm kinda struggling to pull inspiration for Bringing Color right now, but I didn't want to stop writing all together, so I started the Lyrics Series.
> 
> So I've been meaning to start this new series for a while. The Lyrics Series will give me a place for one shots that aren't necessarily based on real life Markson moments. This one just so happens to start with something that's based off of information we learned from the Markson GOT2Day, but the last two chapters of this won't be based on any real life occurrences or information. Just as a heads up.
> 
> This piece is based off of the opening lines of Mayday (Mark's spoken part), which has been split into three and will be the chapter titles. So, as you can see, this one is "I Want You". The next one will be "To Find Me". Then the last one will be "And Save Me". Take that information however you want to. ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoy this. Let me know what you think in the comments section down below.


	2. To Find Me

Bags full of clothes and boxes overflowing with fan gifts and letters filled what had once been Mark and Jackson’s room. Even looking at the mess made most people dizzy. Sometimes, Mark would try and clean some of it up. He would spend an hour or two while Jackson was out filming or asleep to try and declutter the piles of stuff. But no matter how organized he got it, all his hard work would inevitably go to waste as even more junk was stacked on top. He felt more and more closed in as the months passed. While Jackson had returned to the room once the bugs finally disappeared, Mark couldn’t find it in himself to do the same.

It wasn’t until Jackson returned from one of his many trips to China, extras and goodies and letters in tow, that Mark decided to make his move out of the room permanent. Half expecting the younger to still be asleep, Mark walked into the room one morning, surprised to find Jackson awake and digging through a box at the bottom of the biggest pile of stuff. When Mark didn’t say anything, Jackson glanced up. The older’s blonde locks bobbed around the room as he pulled out his suitcases and backpacks from the far corner.

“What are you doing?” Jackson asked. With awards season coming up, they weren’t scheduled to go anywhere until MAMAs, but that was still days away. Way too far away to start packing for.

“Moving my stuff to a different room,” Mark answered, not even so much as glancing at his boyfriend as he spoke.

“What?” Jackson asked. A wave of shock struck him, making the small wooden jewelry chest he’d been holding slip through his fingers. Mark glanced over at the sound of the box crashing against the hard floor.

“I’ve been living in a different room for months now. I figured it’s time to get the rest of my stuff.”

“So you’re never coming back? You’re just abandoning our room?”

“I told you before,” Mark sighed, “there’s too much stuff. I can barely get to the bed anymore.”

Jackson grumbled, suddenly bristling at the topic. It’s one they’d half argued about for months, never really saying everything they wanted to. They usually just walked away before anything could get heated, before they could even think of solving anything. Jackson knew the clutter was why Mark hadn’t come back to the room yet. He’d noticed the older attempting to organize everything more than a few times. The younger really did plan on sorting through it all one day, too, but recently, he’d never had the time. Any spare moment he got these days was spent catching up on much-needed sleep.

“I’ll take care of it soon,” Jackson muttered, a little annoyed at how extreme Mark was acting. Sure, the boxes had started to take up a majority of the floor space in their room, but he could still move around. It wasn’t like he had to tiptoe or anything. The boxes only took up the space that they hadn’t been using.

“Yeah, you’ve been saying that,” Mark replied. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

That made something snap in Jackson. There had been so many unsaid things between them recently, so many side comments that never got talked about, and it was driving him crazy. Dropping the pile of small boxes and containers he’d piled in his arms back into the cardboard box he was digging through, Jackson stood up and stormed across the room, stepping in between Mark and the clothes hanging on the wall. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The older’s jaw tightened, eyes piercing as he stared back at Jackson. There was a reason why all the other members agreed that Mark was the most intimidating of the group. His icy attention could make chills run up even the most disciplined of people’s spine. Every nerve in Jackson’s body buzzed, begging him to look away. He didn’t like fighting, especially with Mark, but desperate times called for desperate measures. There was no way he was going to let Mark leave this time.

“It means exactly how it sounds,” Mark replied. “How am I really supposed to believe you want me to stay when you know what bothers me and still don’t do anything about it?”

“They’re gifts!” Jackson’s voice grew louder by the second, his irritation starting to boil to the surface. “I can’t just throw them away! People spent time and money to get these for me.”

“But you can’t just keep them all, either!” Mark protested. “Look at all this stuff!” He motioned around the ultra-packed room, making sure to emphasize the stacks of trash bags and overflowing boxes. He even pointed to Jackson’s bed, which was so covered in dirty clothes and random stuff that Jackson started sleeping on the floor. “You’re hardly ever home, so you don’t even really look at it, let alone do anything with it.”

“So what do you want me to do? Ignore my fans and just trash everything? Pretend like I look at and read everything when I didn’t?” No matter how ideal that all sounded to Mark at that moment, no matter how normal it seemed since that’s what every other member did, he knew Jackson would never do something like that. He revered his fans too much. It was one of his most endearing, and infuriating, traits. But Mark couldn’t just stay silent now, either. Not when they’d finally started letting out what had been brewing between them for months now.

“I want you to show me that you want me here.” The words felt bittersweet as they slipped from his mouth. It was just one of several things he’d been wanting to tell Jackson, but never found the right time to. “I want you to prove me wrong, to make me think that you’re just as interested in me, in us, as you used to be.” He hadn’t exactly meant to let that last secret out, but it was too late. His biggest fear had just fallen onto the floor between them. “I want to know that there’s still room for me in your life.”

“What? Of course I want you in my life. Where is all this coming from?” Jackson’s head tipped to the side ever so slightly. He desperately tried to look Mark in the eye, the older now expertly avoiding his gaze.

Mark took a long, deep breath, eyes sliding shut before he answered. “Lately, I’ve been worried that maybe you’re outgrowing me. You’re getting all these new jobs and meeting all these new people and flying all over. Maybe you found someone new. Someone that’s better than me.”

He barely finished before Jackson pulled his thin frame into his arms. “How long have you been worrying?” the younger asked, face buried in Mark’s neck. The older loved the feeling of Jackson’s toned arms wrapped around him. It made him feel safe, like Jackson was sheltering him from whatever evil waited for them in the outside world. He let himself relax into the embrace, wrapping his own arms around Jackson’s waist and nuzzling into his shoulder.

“I don’t know,” he admitted quietly. “A couple months? Maybe more?”

“Babe,” Jackson sighed. He moved his head back just enough so he could look at his boyfriend properly again. Mark’s rich brown eyes were one of the many things Jackson found himself thinking about when he was away on his own. They were the window into Mark’s deepest thoughts. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

At first, Mark didn’t want to say anything. He just squeezed Jackson tighter, trying desperately to make the other just move past the question. It wasn’t that he was afraid of telling him, but he didn’t know how Jackson would react. There was potential for another round of yelling to start, and Mark didn’t want that. But as a few moments passed and Jackson’s didn’t say anything, the older sighed and shifted to rest his forehead against the other’s.

“I was afraid,” he admitted. “If you really were done, I wasn’t ready to hear it. Not out loud, at least.”

“I’m not done,” Jackson muttered. He let his eyes slip closed as he took in the feeling of Mark’s cool skin against his own, their breath mingling in the small space between them.

“I mean, I know we’re gonna have to end eventually,” Mark continued. “But I just didn’t want that to happen now. Not while we still have time.”

Leaning his head back again, Jackson stared at the man in his arms. “Why would we have to end?” he asked. Eyebrows stitching together in confusion, he started to worry as Mark grew pale. The older always got caught off guard, shocked that Jackson never seemed concerned about their inevitably rocky future.

“The fans expect us to date,” Mark sighed. “As soon as our three year hits, they’ll be watching us even closer. They’ll suspect something if we never date anyone.”

Jackson didn’t need to ask who he was talking about. It was clear enough. “Suspect what? That we’re focusing on our careers like we said we would?” he replied. “Come on. We know it’s gonna be difficult. We’ve always known that. But we have each other. We have the guys. I don’t care if we never go public. So long as you’re happy, nothing else matters.”

It didn’t matter that Jackson had said the same exact speech too many times to count by now. Every time Mark heard it, it was a relief. Knowing that Jackson didn’t need a relationship that he could share with the world helped him breathe a little easier.

“You deserve better, though.” Jackson’s voice was low, almost enough to be a whisper. He stepped back, letting his arms unwrap from Mark’s waist and drop to his sides. “You already have barely an free time. You deserve someone who can actually be there with you when you want to go do something.”

Taking a step to close some of the distance between them, Mark grabbed Jackson’s elbow, holding him in place. “That’s not what I want, though,” he said. “I mean, sure that’d be nice. But I want you. That’s it.”

“You promise it doesn’t bother you?” Jackson asked, a pout set on his lips. Smiling at the child-like expression on his face, Mark just held out his pinky. The younger immediately linked it with his own, shaking their hands a little before releasing. The pout disappeared, replaced with his usual, brilliant smile. “You know I love you, right?” he said, snuggling back against Mark’s body.

“Of course,” Mark laughed. “I love you, too.” He gave Jackson a quick hug before nudging him away. “I’m still moving my stuff, though.”

Jackson’s jaw dropped open. He stared as Mark resumed his packing, eyes wordlessly following him from one side of the room to the other. Noticing his evident shock, Mark shrugged as he tossed another armful of clothes into his bag. “There’s still no room. I can’t live in here.” He paused halfway back to the closet and turned, looking Jackson straight in the eye.

“Maybe I’ll come back if it gets all cleaned up and you keep it that way.” He winked. “Maybe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wohoo! Second chapter! As you can tell by now, this story won't be consecutive days or events, so to speak. It's just three selected moments in the Markson relationship that highlight the progression of them as a couple. This takes place (in my mind) sometime within the Confession Song/MAD Winter Version era. So around this time last year!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little update. I really enjoy writing the more realistic parts of relationships that a lot of other writers kind of gloss over. The fights and the insecurity and whatnot. Definitely all very real parts of any relationship, so I think they're super important to address in fics as well. Plus they're just really, really fun to write. They really help me get to understand the characters more.
> 
> Let me know what you thought in the comments!
> 
> P.S. I haven't proofed this chapter yet, but I will come back and read through it again in the morning. I just really wanted to post this now so it was finally out there.


End file.
